Car-bolster



(No Model.) 2 Sheets$heet 1.

W. CASE.

GAR BOLSTER. No. 550,906. Patented Dec. 3, 1895.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet '2.

.W. CASE. GAR BOLSTEB.

No. 550,906. Patented ec. 3, 1895.

I I I N I yew ANDREW B.GRMIAM PHO'TO-LITKQWASHINGI'ON. D.C.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM CASE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL MALLEABLECASTINGS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

CAR-BOLSTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,906, dated December3, 1895.

Application filed February 5, 1895. Serial No. 537,357. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM CASE, of Chicago, Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Car Bolsters, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, economical, andefficient car-bolster; and the invention consists in the features andcombinations hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the bolster and other parts;Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3, an enlarged sectionalelevation taken on line 3 of Figs. 2 and 4; Fig. 4, a horizontalsectional view of a portion of the bolster, taken on line 4 of Fig. 3;and Fig. 5, details of parts hereinafter described.

In the usual forms of car-bolsters that are constructed with a bodyportion having permanent or rigid side-bearing portions the whole beingso constructed and arranged with regard to the other parts of the carthat the car rests normally upon the center bearing and seat of thebolster, leaving generally a space of from three-quarters of an inch toan inch between the side-bearing posts and the upper portion of the car,so that if the car be heavily loaded-enough to deflect the body portionof the bolster-it will strike these side-bearing seats and a portion ofthe Weight be sustained thereon. The disadvantages of this constructionare that in turning a sharp curve at any speed or any curve at a highrate of speed there is danger of derailing the car, from the fact thatthe bolster is apt to be held rigidly with the car and not allow thetruck to turn. In order to overcome some of the disadvantages when thebolster has become flexed, a set of plates have been inter-- posed onthe center seat in order to raise it back to its normal position. Thisis expensive and not always satisfactory, from the fact that it isdifficult to obtain the proper amount of rise. My invention, therefore,is

intended to overcome all these objections by providing a bolster havinga pocket or recess to receive the side bearings and other partshereinafter described.

In constructing my improved bolster I use a bolster Ain this instancepreferably made of one integral casting, but which can be of any of theusual formsand provide it with a center-bearing seat a, so that theusual centerbearing may be affixed in any desired manner. I provide itwith side portions B B, havingpockets to receive the bearings proper,which are constructed as follows: Inserted in the usual pockets aretension-springs C, adapted to support a platen D, which is provided withan internal threaded opening. Engaging this threaded opening of theplaten is the bearing portion proper E, which has a cylindrical threadedportion 6, that enters the threaded opening, while the upper portion Eis adapted to form the bearing and be contacted by the upper-bearingseats of the car proper. By providing the platen and the bearing withthreaded parts itwill be seen that the relation between the spring andthe seat may be changed to any desired distance, so that the upper faceof the bearing may be brought within certain limits as high or as low asdesired.

In order to prevent the bearing from turning, I prefer to make it of thegeneral shape shown in Fig. 4Ethat is, approximately a square, buthaving round corners-so that when the bearing is in its pocket it cannotturn in any manner to disturb the adjustment or relation of theantifriction rolls hereinafter described, and, further, to preventtampering by outsiders with this adj ustment unless more than ordinarymeans are used. In order to minimize the friction of the engagingpartsthat is, the upper side bearing of the car and the bearing of thebolster-I prefer to make the side bearing E hollow and with a U shapedrecess e, adapted to receive and form a chamber for a short cylindricalshaft G. Mounted on this shaft'is a hollow cylindrical roll H, whichleaves an annular chamber h between it and the cylinder and shaft. Inthis annular chamber are a series of small antifriction-rolls h, so thatthe shaft itself, as a general thing, remains stationary, while the rollrevolves on these small antifriction-rolls when the bearing portions arein engagement with each other and the car is going around a curve orcoming back into a straight line.

The advantages of my improved bolster and its adjustable side bearingare, first, that it furnishes a yielding side and bearing seat toprevent a rigid engagement with the side bearings of the car, whichordinarily might cause the derailing of a train; second, this tensionyielding side bearing is made adj ustable and allows a deflection of thecenter member orbody portion; third, that the mak ing of the bolstervdth a pocket to receive the side bearings permits aninterchangeability, as it were, of the sidebearingsthat is, arigid sidebearing can be used or a plain adjustable bearing or a railway-bearingor a plain yielding bearing, or, as shown and described, it may beprovided with a roller, antifriction, adjustable, and yielding sidebearing.

In describing my invention I have not entered into any minutedescription of the bolster proper, as such structures are well known tothose skilled in the art and do not form a material or novel part of myinvention; and while I have entered more or less minutely into thedetails of my invention and described it as being embodied in preciseforms, I do not desire to be limited thereto unduly, any more than ispointed out in the claims. On

the contrary, I contemplate all proper changes in form, construction,and arrangement, the omission of parts, and substitution of equivalents,as circumstances may suggest or necessity render expedient.

I claim- 1. A car bolster, provided with pockets at each side adapted toreceive side bearings, and yielding adjustable side bearings removablysecured to such pockets, substantially as described.

2. A car bolster, provided, with pockeis adapted to receive sidebearings, and antifriction adjustable yielding side bearings removablysecured in such pockets, substantially as described.

3. A car bolster, provided with pockets adapted to receive sidebearings, a yielding tension spring in such pockets, a platen resting onsuch spring and provided with a threaded portion, and a side bearingprovided with a threaded portion engaging with the threaded opening ofsuch platen so that the relation between thetwo may be adjusted,substantially as described.

4. A car bolster, provided with pockets at each side to receive sidebearings, a spring or springs in such pocket to support the side bearingin a yielding manner, a platen on such spring or springs provided with athreaded opening to receive a side bearing, an antifriction side bearingprovided with a threaded portion engaging the platen so that therelation between the two may be changed as desired, substantially asdescribed.

\VILLIAM CASE. \Vitnesses EPHRAIM BANNING, THOMAS B. McGREGoR.

